Laid
by BLACKxDOVE
Summary: Emma's main intention was to get laid, but when she finds herself tangled up in Regina's dirty sheets they both become consumed by their volatile relationship, and the reaping obsessive addiction that soon follows; the addiction of love.
1. Part I

**PART I**_  
"This bed is on fire with passion and love…"_

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Wood smacks against cement as the worn bed frame collides against the wall with incredible force—_bang, bang, bang_. The loud thumps that the contact creates are barely heard over the throaty, passionate moans and yelps that reverberate through the cramped bedroom. As the legs of the bed screech against the dirty, tiled floor—_erk, erk, erk_—two naked bodies frantically glide over one another in a vicious tango; each trying to overpower the other physically and mentally. Sweat clings against the women's skin as hot sheets stick to heated flesh; it's like the bed is on fire consuming both participants in its fiery grasp of passion and lust.

Regina pushes her lover hard against the mattress as she continues thrusting her hips wildly; her head snapping back while her stormy, dark eyes clench shut. The brunette's left hand digs into the slippery material of the sheets as the fingers on her right hand slide in and out of Emma's center rapidly; curling dangerously against the most delicious of spots. The blonde's eyes crack open like lightning streaking through the dead of night, and her vision is consumed by the glowing woman who straddles her. Emma lifts her arms and presses her blunt nails into Regina's hips roughly; the brunette's head shoots forward as she hisses loudly. The lust filled gaze that Regina bestows upon the blonde is like a swath of magic and Emma's body lifts to meet the brunette's like a moth fluttering toward a flame—both ultimately lunging for pain and possible death.

Leaning closer—mesmerized—the blonde cries out loudly as skillful fingers twist inside of her with greater force while an equally skillful mouth licks and bites the tender skin against her throat. Panting, Emma wraps her arms around Regina's neck and coaxes the brunette's lips towards her own. When they finally meet in a kiss the blonde nearly comes undone; her body quaking and spiraling out of control as she dips her tongue into the wonderfully seductive taste of poison. And although Emma knows that her carnal knowledge of Regina could very well be the end of her heart, her body can't help but hum to life as she finds herself falling into the deep pit of self-destruction. Each jarring touch, every searing kiss brings the blonde closer to despair, and yet the sweet temptation of Regina Mills is more than she can bear, and Emma lets her eyes fall closed as she thrusts harder against the brunette's hand.

A knee jerks upward convulsively and the brunette screams against the bruised lips caught between her teeth. The hurricane of need that twirls within her stomach is something she has never felt so intensely before, and Regina isn't sure whether to embrace it or drown it. Fire bubbles within the brunette's veins as she feels her orgasm pound between her legs and another scream scratch against her lungs. The insatiable and unspeakable sensations that quiver inside of her speckle her heart with loving warmth and the idea makes Regina sick. Opening her eyes, the brunette gazes down at the pitiful, shaking blonde against her and the notion of the great power she wields thrills her to the very core. With new found glory, Regina thrusts inside Emma one last time as she lifts her free hand and slaps the blonde across the face with the last bit of force she can muster.

"I hate you…" the brunette grounds out as she steals a kiss from her shaking lover's lips

"I love you…" Emma gasps into Regina's mouth as her body explodes into an earth shattering climax.

The bed stops banging against the wall, but continues to squeak from the terrible force of lust making it had endured. Both women become still and quiet, the only noise is the crunching of springs and heavy breathing. Green and black eyes bore into one another for the first time that evening; their foreheads pressed tiredly against one another. Something in the stuffy bedroom shifted then as Regina and Emma both wondered if what the other had said was true. But questions such as those were dangerous in circumstances such as there's and all they ended up having was a sweat covered bed and an unquenchable fire burning in their hearts.

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**A/N: I realize I should be working on my "Rootless Tree" chapters, but I have been dealt a serious dose of writer's block and I needed to get back into the literary game. So, I'm easing myself back into it with this short, fragmented smut. It's probably terrible, but I'm always too hard on myself, haha. With that being said please, PLEASE review, I'd love to hear what all of you think and feel about this piece. I'm going to update this regardless because it's a quick fix at my writing addiction (but mainly because it's short and I have nothing better to do.) For all of those who have been waiting patiently for "Rootless Tree" I'm going to be updating it very, VERY soon, so stick around. Anyway, now that that's out of the way, this story was inspired by the song "_Laid by Matt Nathanson" _AGAIN, PLEASE REVIEW, they're my favorite part ;)**


	2. Part II

**PART II  
"**_The neighbors complain about the noise from above"_

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A vase sailed across the room and smashed against the bare wall that Emma stood beside. The blonde clumsily jumped out of the way as glass sprayed toward her, errant pieces tickled her naked thighs as it tumbled to the floor. Green eyes were like saucers and perfect, thin lips were pressed into a look of fear combined with blushing awe. Emma's gaze lifted from the tiles and over to the half-dressed brunette standing across the room; her dark hair fell in tangles to her shoulders, her deep red lipstick was smeared across her mouth like a bruise and her eyes were as sharp and flashing as daggers. The metallic look gave the blonde a jolt directly between her legs and before she could fathom her thoughts she found her feet dragging her towards Regina. The brunette's hand twitched around a picture frame, ready to throw again if any sort of niggling weakness struck her. But as her eyes ran up and down the length of Emma as she tip-toed closer to her, Regina felt the hard wooden frame slowly slip from her fingers to clash against the floor.

After several seconds, the blonde was standing directly in front of the mayor, and as she looked into slowly softening brown eyes Emma lifted her right palm and pressed it against the brunette's chest—directly above her heart. Once her cold hand had made contact with hot flesh, the blonde could feel Regina's heart sputter to life; quickly hammering in her chest as wispy breaths flooded from her lips. Terrified and sullen all at once, the brunette lifted her fingers and laced them through the blonde's that kneaded against her chest. Nothing scared Regina more than the idea of someone breaking down her walls and exposing the soft, battered woman that lay beneath. Power was how the brunette got what she wanted without paying the deadly price, and yet the destructive anger she so wanted to evoke against a persistent Ms. Swan couldn't be mustered—not when the blonde caressed every span of flesh with gentle, loving touches.

Emma pressed a thumb against her cheek and Regina felt moisture spread across the tight skin; she had begun to cry and she hadn't even noticed. Batting the blonde's hands away she viciously rubbed the tears from her eyes and stomped across the room to retrieve the rest of her missing clothes. Nothing scared Regina more than letting her veil of strength fall away in front of others, and so she fled. As she rounded the bed, the brunette could feel Emma trailing behind her; a small part of her wanted to turn around and pummel the blonde until she bled but another, softer, part wanted to embrace the woman and let herself get lost in her tears and pitiful feelings. Ignoring both ideas, Regina grabbed her blazer from under the bed and quickly buttoned it up.

"Why do you always do that?" Emma sighed as she let herself plop down on the unmade bed.

"Why do I always do what?" the brunette snapped as she shoved her feet inside a pair of black high heels.

"You always run off once we starting making some goddamn progress!"

Regina scoffed as she straightened the wrinkles from her outfit; needing to find something to do with her hands instead of reaching out toward the irritating blonde. No, this isn't what it was suppose to be at all, the brunette thought; it was suppose to be a frustrated release—fucking without consequence. But there were consequences, Regina was quickly finding out; consequences that pounded in her chest and made the muscle flutter rapidly. Emma was a lay, that was all, a mere ploy to release all of the tension that had built up between them since the unsuspecting blonde had strolled into Storybrooke with _Regina's _son. The brunette wasn't suppose to think about her all of the time; it was designed to be a onetime thing, but every time she left the sex-scented room and the tangled, sweaty sheets the only thought that ever crossed Regina's mind was when to call the blonde next. As she was lost in thought, Emma reached out and grabbed one of her fumbling hands, physically begging her to stay. Shaking herself back into reality, the brunette's dark eyes flickered down to meet the blonde's and for a moment she faltered, and let her fingers get tangled up in the delicious sensation, but she quickly sobered herself and yanked her hand away as she started towards the bedroom door and out into the hallway. Loud, banging footsteps chased after her and within a second Emma was running in front of her and bracing her firm hands against the brunette's chest, ceasing her movements.

"Can't you see that I want you? Jesus, and not just for sex—I want all of it…all of you."

"Don't start, Ms. Swan." Regina ground, her voice growing louder with each syllable. "We both know this was supposed to be a onetime arrangement!"

"So what, things change!" Emma was yelling now, and it made the tension throughout her body loosen; she nearly sighed with relief, but she was far too angry for that.

"Not in my world!"

"Would you both shut the hell up!" a muffled voice from below echoed, followed by a loud thumping.

The two women ignored the complaints from the neighbors and continued staring intensely at one another. Neither was going to move from their respective position in the argument and it seemed that the only way they could get through to each other is if they caused pain. Both women had their reasons to be angry, and yet on the inside both women merely wanted each other. If only it could be that easy, their minds hummed in unison. But it wasn't easy, not when you held so much passion for someone—hate and love are, after all, only a breath away from each other; the blonde, and the brunette were well aware of this fact by the way their hearts both wept and raged while they were tangled up together.

"Right," the blonde began, her voice cracking from the rising anger, "because your world is so fucking perfect as it is!"

"Fuck you!" the brunette screamed, her emotions getting the better of her as she exploded inches away from Emma's distraught face.

The force of the shriek caused hot breath to whip across the blonde's face like a violent punch; her body stiffening from the motionless impact. Emma's mind clawed and gnawed at her, begging her right arm to lift and smack the brunette directly across the cheek. But, instead of the rage filled thoughts, the blonde lunged toward Regina, gripping at the material of her blazer until their mouths smashed together like a car crash. Emma bit down hard on the brunette's bottom lip and tasted blood as she forced her tongue into the moist cavern. Regina's fingernails ripped down the blonde's back with knife-like precision as she leaned in closer to the offending body; the only thought in the mayor's mind was that she wanted to be consumed and burned by Emma's fiery power. No one had every marred her this way, it was as if Regina's heart beat only for the blonde and no one else. And there it was again, the fear; the crimson tinted, stomach coiling fear that cut through the brunette's mind every time she let herself fall prey to Emma. And so, taking one last taste of the addicting mouth, Regina pushed the blonde away from her roughly and watched as Emma tumbled to the floor in a heap of limbs. The sight made the brunette nauseous and she spun around quickly, racing down the hallway toward the door. Nothing scared Regina more than letting herself become powerless to another. But, as she wrenched open the door, the brunette felt a dull pang echo throughout her ribs. But nothing—**nothing**—scared Regina Mills more than the idea of being alone forever.

Emma heard the door slam shut, the cupboards quaking with the impact. Tonguing her cheek, the blonde realized that she could still taste Regina in her mouth and she savored the metallic sweetness that resided there. Licking her lips, she pulled herself from the cold, grimy floor and stomped into her bedroom. As she felt hot, disturbing tears build up within her emerald eyes Emma felt the floor vibrate as the neighbors from below continued to complain about the noise from above. As a tear trailed down her cheek, she stomped on the tiles as loudly as she could.

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**A/N: This chapter was difficult, but I hope you all enjoy it. And please, PLEASE don't forget to REVIEW! :D**


	3. Part III

**Part III  
**_"But she only cums when she's on top"_

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Honey brown eyes gazed out the large window on the right side of the mayor's office. Regina had called the blonde over an hour ago and still Emma was absent. After their clipped conversation the anticipation had given way to spinning thoughts and shaking hands and the brunette decided to brush her work aside for a couple hours. She wound up leaning against the glass, waiting impatiently for a yellow car or a flash of red leather. It occurred to Regina that no sane person would stare out a window searching for someone for that amount of time, but she merely pursed her lips and dug her clear-coated nails deeper into the white window sill. The word _obsession_ fluttered inside the brunette's chest as a beat up buggy consumed her vision, and it began to rattle more loudly inside her—_obsession, Obsession, OBSESSION_—when her irises clung to Emma's body while she rounded her car.

Regina tried to reign in her suddenly chaotic thoughts; she needed to remember that she was the one with the power. The brunette was the possessor, not the possession, and yet when she felt green eyes meet her own, Regina couldn't help the gasp that escaped her lips or the electric shiver that shimmied up her spine. Blinking rapidly, the brunette watched in rapt attention as sun-kissed ringlets danced in the wind. Her knees suddenly buckled as a soft, pink tongue snuck out to moisten thin lips. Regina's mouth fell open as she took a few short breath; her thighs clenching together tightly as a dull throb trembled between her legs. But, the brunette quickly schooled her features as Emma flashed an arrogant smirk. Scoffing, Regina flicked her wrist as a way of motioning for the blonde to make her way up to the brunette's office.

As Emma rounded the corner toward the front of City Hall, Regina let her gaze linger on the tantalizing figure before she turned and strode to her desk. Leaning over the dark, black surface, idle fingers deftly organized papers into their rightful folders and piled them neatly to one side. As the brunette slid the last few documents into the stack she heard the familiar footsteps and then the quiet creak as the door opened and closed behind her. Brown eyes glimmered mischievously as she felt the energy shift and crackle around her. Small hairs at the base of her neck prickled upright as Emma approached her quickly, taking meaningfully sturdy strides to rid the dizzying tension.

Before she had the time to turn around, Regina felt a pelvis press tightly against her backside, and a strong, firm hand press demandingly on her back. The pressure caused the top half of the brunette's body to be roughly pushed against the cold surface of her desk. Quirking an eyebrow in confusion, Regina let herself relax into the unexpected action as a hand ran down the length of her skirt covered hip. She wasn't accustomed to feeling so powerless, especially when it came to sexual encounters; the core of her orgasm always forming from the abundance of control she had over the situation—in blatant terms Regina Mills couldn't cum unless she was on top and in charge. But, as cold fingers slid against her bare thigh and slithered up her skirt to the apex of her thighs she couldn't help but to let out a strangled gasp. The noise filtered through her ears and it frightened the brunette—what was she becoming when merged with the defiant sheriff? As the days and weeks passed like discarded pages in an erotic novel Regina slowly began to feel herself growing weak under the deadly precision of the blonde's touch. As the thoughts caressed her mind with feather-light flutterings, the brunette began to struggle beneath Emma, there was no way she could possibly let herself be taken in such a manner; she couldn't willingly give herself up so submissively—so weakly.

"Stay still…" Emma reprimanded, leaning down closer to Regina so she could whisper, "I want to try something…"

"I can't do this!" the brunette interrupted, her voice conveying much more emotion than she intended, "You know I can't—Oh, God!"

A shattering cry died in the back of Regina's throat as the blonde's hand cupped her sex; leisurely rubbing back and forth against the damp fabric of panties. The brunette grinded her hips against the offending appendage trying to feel more of Emma's skin against her quickly heating center. Sucking her blood red lips between her teeth, Regina squeezed her eyes shut as deft fingers teasingly toyed with the elastic seem of her underwear, gently sneaking inside the confines. Groaning loudly, the brunette heard the blonde scoff behind her as Emma finally let her hand sink inside the lacy garment. As cold digits fluttered against her wetness lightly, Regina had to bite into her lips until they bled in order for her to keep herself from begging. _Begging_—the word exploded behind her eyes and the brunette began to grow nervous; she squirmed on the desk hysterically as she tried to claw away from her imminent submission.

"Stop—Emma…Ms. Swan stop!"

"You know you don't really want me to stop…do you?" Emma whispered as her hand disappeared from Regina's heat; the brunette's body betrayed her as she whimpered in frustration. "That's what I thought."

"But you know that I can't…" Regina's voice cracked as she cocked her head to the side to meet the blonde's gaze; the darkness within the green orbs made the brunette's knees quake, "you know that unless I'm on top I can't—"

"Cum?" Emma offered, licking her lips as she watched the mayor nod slowly, a smirk covered her lips as the blonde shoved her hand back inside Regina's panties gaining a breathy moan as slick, wetness coated her fingers. "We'll see about that—it's my turn now."

An audible gulp of fear echoed throughout the brunette's ribcage as her nerves got the better of her. But, as the dexterous digits traveled between her soaking folds, Regina's muscles began to relax, and she let her dark eyes roll in the back of her head as Emma created a perfect rhythm. The sensations that whirled through the brunette's lithe frame quelled in every nerve, every vein until her heart was beating so frantically that Regina believed that the blonde could hear every single persistent thump. The aching muscle hammered even faster as two fingers slid inside of Regina—possessing her completely.

While the digits garnered an impeccable speed, Emma pulled the brunette up by the dark strands of her hair so that their bodies were pressed tightly together. Regina cried out from the pain that throbbed through her head combined with the delicious friction that gathered between her thighs. All she wanted at that moment was to be claimed and conquered until all she could feel was the tornado spirals that trailed through her body. Turning her quickly, the brunette crushed her lips against Emma's, urgently seeking out her tongue as she bit at her bottom lip. They kissed more passionately then they had ever kissed before and it felt like the earth had quivered and shifted from the mass amount of pleasure that had shivered between them.

Pulling away with bruised lips and smeared makeup, Regina couldn't stop her body from jerking as her center began to clutch at the diligent fingers fervently. Loud moans ripped from the brunette's throat as Emma's arm wrapped around her waist and secured her. Before her mind lost focus, the last thought that flashed within the Regina's cranium was that perhaps sometimes, and only sometimes, it wasn't so frightening to be in this position—that it wasn't so terrifying to be loved. _Loved_—the word bounced around roughly in her soul like a rock but her brain froze before she could question the thoughts as her orgasm tore through her body like a dagger.

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**A/N: For some reason this chapter just did not come out the way I had hoped, I actually rather dislike it. Though, I do hope that you all enjoy this update; I'm happy when my readers are happy! And of course, don't forget to REVIEW and share the love :)**


	4. PART IV

**Part IV  
**_"My friend said not to see you no more;  
she said you're like a disease without a cure;  
she said I was so obsessed that I've become a bore."_

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Full lips kissed a searing pathway down a pale, firm stomach; the moist mouth devouring every inch of flesh it could reach. Green eyes clenched shut as sharp teeth bit into the tender skin above a hip bone and the blonde writhed in pleasure as she guided the exploring head further south. Fisting her eager hands into the thick locks of dark hair, Emma felt the brunette smile against her thigh before trailing a fiery tongue between her legs.

Regina dragged her teeth over the sensitive bundle of nerves as her fingertips lazily teased around the blonde's entrance. Hearing the gutteral moans from above and feeling Emma's frantic thrusts against her mouth the brunette finally relented. Slowly, Regina pressed a single long finger within the tight cavern and relished at the wealth of wetness she found there. Smiling around the flesh between her lips, the brunette basked in her glory; the notion of her being able to bring the blonde to a frenzy of wanton desire until she was left whimpering and begging made Regina's body shiver uncontrollably.

"More…" Emma pleaded as she licked her lips, "…I need to feel more of you."

"Mmm," the brunette merely hummed as her mouth suckled against the swollen nub; shifting her hand she eased a second digit inside of her lover, "…like this, dear?"

"Yes!" The blonde panted as she arched her back off of the bed. "Just like that!"

As the two women created a perfect rhythm, Emma ran her blunt nails down her lover's naked back and smirked as she felt a hiss rumble through her sex. Ceasing her ministrations the blonde let her hands fall onto the bed and allowed her mind to go blank as her body and thoughts eased into a blissed out delierium; a paradise that only Regina could take her to. _Regina_, she whispered to herself as her heart quickened and her breathing became labored—the deliciously wonderful things that the dark woman could do to her were so addicting that they consumed the blonde. It was as if the brunette's hand prints were forever emblazoned on Emma's flesh—marking her territory. But it was alright, the blonde believed, because she wouldn't want anyone else to have her this way.

"_You're obsessed, Emma, she's poisioning you…"_

The sudden booming of Mary Margaret's voice within her cranium made Emma's eyes burst open in shock. Why did her friend's words from earlier have to come to her now—have to infiltrate her mind with their judgements as she laid beneath the "poisionous" woman? Trying to shake the thoughts away, the blonde resettled herself on the bed and let the fingers that were buried inside of her take control. Moaning as the brunette licked up her body, Emma lifted her head and allowed the woman to claim her lips—Regina tasted like a combination of the both of them and the blonde fell into the kiss like a woman possessed.

"_Emma, this isn't safe…she's only going to cause you pain in the end. Save yourself while you can."_

Growling at herself, Emma ignored the words that were screaming in her head and let them fade away as the brunette bit into her pulse point viciously. Seething with pain, the blonde pressed her hips more firmly against the hand between her thighs and rode it roughly. As the brunette pumped more vigourously, and Emma came closer and closer to falling over the edge she felt a part of her mind beginning to process everything that Mary Margaret had said earlier. It was cruel and hurtful, the things she had said, and they had slashed against the blonde like a blade—but they were true, to an extent. Her relationship with Regina wasn't conventional, and it certainly wasn't healthy. It was sex—mindless, self-indulgant sex that reverted Emma back to her old ways. And she would not allow herself to go back down that path—she had a child in her life now, her son, and people that cared about her. The blonde would not give up the small amount of happiness she had accumulated in Storybrooke because of her obsessively, hazardous tryst with the brunette.

Just as the realization struck her, Emma's body began to spasm as bright lights pounded behind her eyes; her orgasm was tearing through her like a tornado and the blonde had to grasp onto Regina or else flutter into an abyss of never-ending ecstasy. As she dug her fingernails into the brunette's shoulders Emma couldn't stop herself from screaming her lover's name into the quiet and the darkness of the night. Pleased by the blonde's display, Regina nuzzled against her neck and nibbled on her earlobe seductively.

"You're so beautiful when you're beneath me…" the brunette confessed in a breathy whisper.

"Regina…" Emma sighed, in a daze, "…we have to stop."

"I agree, dear," Regina replied in a clipped tone as she shuffled off of the blonde's slick body, "it is getting rather late and—"

"I didn't mean _this_…" Emma whispered as she sat up and pressed her back against the cold headboard, "I meant this _thing _we have together."

Cocking her head to the side the brunette glared over at the shivering woman beneath the sheets and pursed her lips. Although her face portrayed the steely expression of someone who didn't care, Regina could feel her very heart begin to break as she looked into the blonde's shifting green eyes. Bracing herself for the inevitable pain that was about to come, the brunette dug her fingernails into the tender palms of her hands and turned towards Emma.

"What are you trying to say, Ms. Swan?" Regina winced at the worry that tinged her words; she couldn't let the blonde know just how much this was killing her—she couldn't let anyone know how weak she truly was.

"I'm trying to say that I can't do this anymore…" Emma sighed, running a hand through her tangled hair, "…I can't do it. And I think it would be best if we just stopped seeing each other…for good."

The blonde watched the affect that her words had on Regina, and if she hadn't known the woman as well as she did she would never have seen the flicker of pain in the black depths of her eyes. She would never have seen the quiver of her hands as she picked up her blouse. Emma crawled across the bed and tried to reach a hand out to the brunette, but the woman roughly pushed it away from her as she dressed in silence. The ache in her chest bloomed until the blonde could barely breath and she clutched at the sheets as a way of gathering strength, but all strength was lost upon her—but, after all, she was doing the right thing…wasn't she? And as her eyes caressed the curve of Regina's hip, and embraced the shimmer of a single tear that trailed down her cheek, Emma wasn't certain of anything.

"I hope you're satisfied," the brunette ground out between trembling lips as another tear fell from her eyes; before she slammed Emma's bedroom door behind her Regina finished with a cracking tremor, "because you'll grow to regret this."

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**A/N: I apologize for taking so long to post this part, the last three parts will be uploaded much more quickly. For some reason I couldn't find this part in my files and I was far too lazy to rewrite it as I was quite happy with the way this turned out. But, I finally found it the other day, so after some editing…here it is! Be sure to share your love, comments and concerns by REVIEWING! :)**


	5. Part V

**Part V  
**_"I locked you out you punched a hole in the wall"_

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The moon's light skittered over Storybrooke with its pale and desperate finesse; coating the small town in an eerie blue glow that painted it in ominous streaks. Green eyes peered from a dark window out into the night, watching lazily as the stars twinkled and the trees groaned. Sighing, the blonde pressed her face against the chilled glass and let her gaze droop to the sidewalk. It was useless, she had told herself numerous times, sleep would evade her once again—Emma had barely slept a wink since she had watched Regina's heart break in front of her. The blonde had tried to reason with herself that it was for the best, but her body was constantly betraying her; missing the soothing skilled fingers and burning red lips.

Just as she was about to leave her spot at the window a flash of dark hair and the click of high heels roused Emma from her thoughts. As her heart picked up speed and her fingernails dug deeply into the wood of the window sill the blonde pressed her face against the window. But once her eyes were focused nothing remained and Emma felt something inside of her die then, as if all hope was completely lost.

The relationship had been formed due to carnal, animalistic needs, and yet the blonde missed the simple things about the mayor: the way they would argue about trivial day-to-day things; the way Emma's body would crackle to life when she felt the brunette enter the room. But most of all, the blonde missed the delicate fluttering of her heart when dark eyes would meet her own—the way her spirit would soar at the mention of Regina's name. All of these things waded in her stomach with the weight of a brick; Emma loved the frustrating mayor, and the more her heart beat out the confession the heavier she became.

Wringing her hands in regret, the blonde stumbled over to her bed and was about to curl beneath the thread-bare sheets when a loud knock sounded from the front door. Stiffening, Emma took a shaking breath as she exited her bedroom and tip-toed down the hall. Of course she couldn't see who was there, but the tangling of her heart-strings gave her a clue. As another booming knock echoed through the wood the blonde reached the door and placed a hand on the cold surface; with a burning palm it was as if she could feel her—feel the brunette's energy consuming her.

"I know you're there!" Came a slurred yell from the other side of the door, and Emma shivered at the sound of the mayor's voice. "Open the door!"

"You're drunk…" The blonde mumbled as she turned and pressed her back against the wood. "…just go home."

"I need…" her plea was interrupted by a hiccup, followed by the sound of her body clumsily leaning against the door, "…I need to talk to you."

"Regina!" Emma exclaimed, as she thrust open the door, "go home!"

Taken aback by the quickly opening door, the brunette stumbled a few steps backwards but maintained her balance by bracing herself against the wall. Glassy brown eyes lifted in a daze and her head began to drown with emotion as the blurred face of Emma crept into her gaze. Shaking her head, Regina pushed away from the wall and scuffed over to the door where the blonde stood; she hadn't anticipated being that intoxicated and she certainly hadn't dreamed that Emma would actually acknowledge her presence. And now that the blonde was standing before her, looking at her with those disgusted green eyes the mayor felt herself snap.

"This is all your fault!" Regina nearly screamed, swaying back and forth on her stilettos. "You ruined _everything_ for me!"

"Would you keep your voice down? Jesus…" the blonde cursed as she wiped a hand over her tired face, "…try to maintain some self-control."

"What, do you think I _like_ being like this?" The mayor's voice was shaking uncontrollably; her vocal cords vibrating with rage and pain, "I _hate_ this! I hate ruining everything—I fuck everything up…"

"Regina—"

"Shut up!" The brunette shrieked, losing any composure she had left, "I'm not finished!"

Emma's muscles jumped within her skin at the sound of Regina screaming—she had never seen the dark woman so distraught before; had never seen her in so much raw, unadulterated pain. Tears prickled behind the blonde's eyes and she willed them away with all of the might she could muster.

"Before you got here everything was fine…" Regina whimpered, "…Henry hated me but he was still _mine_! And then you got here and took him away from me! I hated you for that—I hated everything about you!" She spit, her dark eyes blazing at the blonde. "Then you got to me—you made me think you cared…and for once I believed I could be happy. But you didn't care—and I hate that you did this to me. You made me feel things that I…" Her voice broke then, and she pounded a fist against the wall in frustration; she was disgusted with herself for feeling hurt—for feeling anything but hatred. "…That I just can't feel!"

"I'm sorry…" the blonde whispered, her eyes shining with unshed tears.

The tears were persistent and they inevitably pushed past the surface as her heart exploded with pain; the moist evidence of her own guilt trailed down her cheeks. The invasion of emotion had broken something within Emma and she couldn't seem to control herself as her stomach clenched and her heart skipped a beat. As her watery green gaze flickered up she noticed that Regina had begun crying as well and it took every single aching protest from her mind to stop her body from reaching out to the brunette. She couldn't, the blonde spit at herself, she couldn't let herself fall prey to Regina—she would only be hurt in the end. With this thought in her mind, Emma grimaced as she turned away from the mayor and shut the door, locking it soundlessly.

"You made me love you…" the brunette sobbed under her breath as the door closed in her face, "…this was supposed to be my happy ending…"

Sliding down the wood, the blonde fell onto the floor beside the door and cried silently. She could still hear the mayor on the other side and it killed Emma to see her that way—it was like a knife was twisting within her chest in search of her heart. But she couldn't lose her resolve; the blonde couldn't live her life waiting for Regina to love her—_love_. It was soft, barely a whisper, and yet Emma had heard it as loudly as if it had been screamed: _you made me love you_. The sentence pounded in her chest fervently and before she could think about it the blonde was scrambling into a standing position and pressing her hand against the lock.

"This was supposed to be _mine_!" The brunette screamed as all of the pain that had plagued her for years came racing through her veins; with each heart-breaking memory Regina pounded her fist against the wall. "This was supposed to be _my_ happy ending!"

Just as the blonde turned the lock and thrust open the door the mayor's fist struck the wall one final time and it shattered under her force; her hand disappearing within the thin lining. The loud cracking of wood as it collapsed against her made they brunette's knees buckle. As she removed her bloodied knuckles from the hole, Regina felt her legs give out in exhaustion and she began to fall. But, instead of hitting the hard, cold floor as she had imagined, the mayor felt herself collide against something soft and warm. Blinking through her tears the brunette cocked her head to the side and her eyes found Emma's tear-streaked face. Unsure of how she should feel, Regina began fighting against the soothing arms that cradled her. But her body was spent of all energy and she begrudgingly sank further into the embrace.

With her chest still heaving with sobs, the mayor let her brown eyes flutter shut—letting her liquor addled mind spin into oblivion. Just as her world began to disintegrate beneath her the brunette felt tender fingers comb through her hair, and gentle lips caress her forehead in a breathtaking kiss. As Regina's body shivered with sensation, and her heart beat rapidly within her chest everything went black.

* * *

**A/N: Only two parts left to go and this series is over! This part was really heavy, and it definitely took a while to get it to a place where I didn't hate it. I'm still not very happy with the outcome but I'm glad that I've gotten through it relatively unscathed, haha. But, like always, let me know how you felt about this chapter by REVIEWING!**


	6. Part VI

**Part VI**  
_"I found you sleeping next to me;  
I thought I was alone."_

* * *

Black eyes fluttered open slowly, but quickly slammed shut when the bright morning light invaded the aching retinas. Hissing with the stinging of her eyes and the throbbing of her head, the brunette rolled over in the large bed; her bare arm brushing against something unusual. Lifting her hand lazily, Regina caressed the skin beneath her fingertips and sighed in ease—Henry, she thought. With a tired smile pressed across her red, smeared lips, the brunette cuddled closer to the body beside her. When long, firm arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her closer, Regina gasped as her eyes flew open. There, tangled in her sheets was Emma Swan; her blonde hair sparkling in the yellow sunlight and her face smooth and serene with sleep. Breathing heavily at the sight, the mayor bit at her lip and ran a hand through her disheveled hair; the cool palm resting on her forehead as she tried to remember the blurry events from the night before.

Pulling away from the arms that cradled her, Regina slithered away from the sleeping Sheriff. The blonde released a sleepy groan of disapproval and the mayor held her breath, her dark eyes growing wide as she watched Emma merely snuggle deeper into the pillow. Blowing out the breath that she had been holding, the brunette vaguely remembered drinking some cider—a lot of cider—and then…Gaping, Regina cursed as the memory of her going to see the blonde surfaced dizzily inside her mind. Chewing on the inside of her cheek furiously, the mayor chanced a glance at the sleeping woman beside her, and she couldn't help the small smile that tugged at her lips. The Sheriff was breathtakingly beautiful, and the brunette's heart pounded in her chest rapidly—the time for denial was over: she truly cared for this woman. With her mind absorbing the confession, Regina reached a gentle hand forward and swept a golden curl from the Sheriff's cheek—her fingertips grazing the soft skin of a pale cheek. Just as she was about to pull away, the brunette gasped in shock when a hand wrapped around her wrist delicately, drawing her fingers to Emma's thin smiling mouth; the warm lips ghosting across the cool knuckles in a chaste kiss.

"Good morning," the Sheriff murmured as her green eyes blinked open; her smile growing as her gaze fell upon the brunette's glowing face, "how'd you sleep?"

"What—what are you doing here?" The Mayor stuttered as she yanked her hand away from the blonde's grasp. "Why are you in my bed…its morning!"

"That usually happens when night time is over." Emma chuckled, pulling herself into a sitting position.

"Just answer the question, Ms. Swan."

The Sheriff grimaced at the use of her last name; for a flickering moment she had fully believed that everything that had happened the night before would have changed everything between them. Scoffing silently, the blonde couldn't fathom her stupidity—of course nothing would change; a drunken confession would never have metamorphosed into an actual relationship. Shaking her head, Emma sighed as she flung the sheets away from her body and slid off the silken mattress. As her feet touched the cold floor, the Sheriff shivered as she felt dark eyes wander over her form. Shrugging it away, the blonde hurried around the immaculate bedroom as she searched for her discarded jeans and jacket. While Emma scooped up her jeans from the far corner of the room, Regina watched her closely, her gaze drifting lazily up and down the length of the Sheriff's exposed legs. Licking her lips unconsciously, the brunette remembered the way those thighs had quivered against her cheeks—could nearly taste the heady flavor of pleasure that seeped between them. Clearing her throat, the mayor turned her attention to the clock on the nightstand beside her; trying to make the crimson flush disappear from her face.

"Well…" the blonde started as she began tugging on her pants, "…you were hammered last night and decided it would be a good idea to come over to my apartment and scream at me."

"I'm sure it wasn't nearly that—" began the brunette in a clipped tone, but she was interrupted by a pair of green eyes looking at her as if they were saying _yeah, right. _"Alright, perhaps it wasn't my most professional moment, but I highly doubt I got out of hand."

"You punched a hole in my wall, Regina!" Emma crowed as she zipped and buttoned her jeans. "If that's not _out of hand_ I don't know what the hell is."

"I punched a hole…in your wall?" The Mayor asked, almost sheepishly as she let her fingers tangle tightly in the sheets. Receiving a nod from the blonde, the brunette shook her head and lowered her gaze. "I apologize—I've just been…on edge lately."

"Lately?" The Sheriff laughed, yanking her red, leather jacket on, "you're always on edge."

"More so than usual then…" Regina sneered as she rolled her dark eyes, "…happy, dear?"

"Whatever," the blonde huffed opening the door that led to the hallway, "I'm gonna go check on, Henry…and then we need to talk."

Knitting her black brows in confusion, the Mayor pursed her lips as she delved into her cranium greedily—if Henry was asleep in his bed why would Emma be putting her jacket on? Then, it hit her as if a stone had collided against her brain: her son wasn't there. Gasping, the brunette put a hand over her mouth as she jumped off her bed and ran towards the door, clumsily banging into the Sheriff. Growling indignantly, Regina tried to slide past the blonde, but she was either too strong, or the mayor was too tired. Either way, after a couple moments of shuffling the brunette gave up and she turned to slouch against the wall. Roughly scrubbing her hands over her bloodshot eyes and down her face, Regina tried to remember where she had left her son—if she had been hoping to portray herself as a good mother she was failing terribly, and in front of Henry's birth mother, no less.

"Where is he?" The mayor sighed, tears prickling behind her eyes from embarrassment and frustration. "Where is, Henry?"

"You left him with, Kathryn," The Sheriff supplied quietly, laying a reassuring hand on the brunette's shoulder, "you did the responsible thing—not having him around while you were drinking." Sighing, Emma cupped Regina's face in her hands until dark eyes met her own. "You're a damn good mother, Regina—don't be so hard on yourself."

"Don't mock me!" The mayor snapped, swatting the offending hands away from her, "you don't know _anything _about being a mother!"

"Yeah," the blonde yelled, as she slammed her hand against the wall directly beside the brunette's head, "well fuck you, too!"

Pushing off the wall, the Sheriff threw open the door and stalked out into the hallway; her bare feet stomping loudly across the hardwood. Regina's eyes welled with tears as she heard the woman race down the stairs toward the front door. Screaming into her hands silently, the Mayor's body shuddered with sobs—why did everything have to be so complicated with her? Why couldn't she just grab Emma and tell her how she felt. As the idea flickered through her mind, she visibly cowered as the image of her mother clouded behind her eyes, and the truth settled within her stomach with the heat of a fire, and with the pain of a thousand bruises: no matter how far away she was from her mother the woman would constantly dictate her life. The notion agonized Regina, as if someone had ripped the heart from her chest and crushed it to dust. Scalding tears tore down her cheeks like the flick of a whip and the brunette banged her head against the wall roughly; her sharp, white teeth digging into her bottom lip savagely. There was only one way for the Mayor to escape the dark, deadly voice inside of her and that was by love. _Love_, the word tasted sweet and foreign on the brunette's tongue as she whispered it continuously.

"Wait—" the word echoed from her lips before Regina realized she had said anything and her legs led her to the top of the staircase as her mind tried to process everything. "—Emma, wait!"

"What do you want, Regina?" The Sheriff huffed as she looked up at the tear streaked face gazing down at her. The sight broke her heart, but she clenched her hands into fists as if to stop herself from running up the stairs and gathering the woman into her arms.

"I—" as the Mayor tried to form the three worded sentence, she found that her mouth betrayed her, and she choked on a sob as she realized she couldn't do it—she just couldn't. "I…I just wanted to know what we needed to discuss."

"Oh…" the blonde breathed, disappointment etching her face as she shoved her hands into her pockets. Shaking her head she walked back over to the front door and turned the knob. "Last night…you told me that—you told me that you loved me. Just wanted to see if it were true. It was stupid..."

The brunette's heart leapt frantically in her chest as the memory wafted within her brain—she had, in her intoxicated state, confessed her true feelings for Emma. Smiling through her tears, Regina nearly tumbled down the stairs as the pounding of her heart whispered _yes, yes, yes_! But, just as she tripped down the last step the front door slammed shut and the Sheriff was gone. Falling into a puddle of emotion against the railing, the Mayor let herself slide onto the floor absently as anguished cries escaped her throat in ragged whimpers. As her dark eyes fluttered closed in submission, the brunette clutched at her heart as she whispered the truth to an empty foyer.

"But I do love you, Emma…"

* * *

**A/N: Personally, I found that this chapter was really lacking in a lot of stuff. But, it was also really, really hard for me to write. I'm not sure why…but that's one of the reasons why it took me so long. I just felt like I wasn't sure where to go with it. Anyway, there's only one part left, I hope you're still in it for the long haul! So, what do you think, is Emma and Regina going to get their happy ending? Stay tuned for the last part to find out. And, as always, don't forget to let me know what you thought by REVIEWING! :)**


	7. Part VII

**Part VII  
**_"You're driving me crazy—when are you coming home?"_

* * *

The sky was stained black with a handful of speckling stars when Emma had found herself back at the mayor's mansion. She couldn't remember how long she had been sitting on the stoop outside the front door fighting with herself—should she confront Regina with the iron words that coiled in her stomach, or should she merely give up and go home? Shaking her head briskly, the blonde huffed in exasperation as she pushed herself into a standing position and began walking back down the pathway to her car. A strange tingling sensation ran up the base of her spine as she edged away and Emma couldn't stop herself as she turned to look at the large, looming house. Damn the emotions that were rolling off of her in vicious waves—the brunette had an unspeakable hold on her, and the blonde couldn't shrug away the invisible hands that clenched her heart. Sighing, Emma realized that no matter how much she wanted to leave she could not bring herself to with such severed ties. With a new determination, Emma stalked back towards the front door and thrust the door open hard.

"Regina!" Emma yelled over the sound of the door slamming behind her. "We need to talk."

Peering into the shadows of the darkened foyer, green eyes noticed movement in the blackness and inched forward hesitantly. Flicking on a light, the blonde almost gasped as she saw the mayor huddled against the stairs, her bare legs pressed up into her chest as her head leaned on her knees—dark hair covering her face. Without preamble, Emma stumbled the last few steps and dropped onto the floor beside Regina, her hands instantly running over cold arms and shoulders. But, as soon as her fingers made contact with the woman's body, the blonde jerked back as fists flew at her viciously trying to get her away. The brunette was mumbling almost incoherently as her chest heaved with fearful sobs and Emma looked on with wide eyes as her heart stopped beating within her breast—what the hell had happened to the mayor? It was as if she had become consumed by horrific memories and couldn't crawl back into reality—back into the present.

"Regina…Regina!" The blonde yelled over Regina's babbling. "It's me—its Emma…please—please just look at me."

Behind the tainted images and blood-soaked memories the brunette could faintly hear the anguished pleading of her savior, begging her to reemerge. When Emma had left that morning all hope had fled her—any inkling of strength or power was stripped away from her as her mind became clouded by the past. She had tried her hardest to fight against the crackling voices, the disturbing faces, but she didn't seem to have the will and she had tumbled unwillingly into the abyss of a waking nightmare. But as the blonde's voice slithered within the veil between past and present Regina felt herself plummeting out of her head and back into the now. Gulping in a breath greedily it was as if she hadn't breathed in an eternity and she sucked the oxygen into her lungs hurriedly. As her heart rate decreased to its normal pace, the mayor blinked open her eyes and watched in awe as the haze disappeared and was replaced with the comforting sight of Emma's worried face.

"Ms. Swan…" the brunette tried to clip evenly, but she was shaken to the core and her voice wavered dramatically, "…you shouldn't be here."

"Don't, _Ms. Swan_ me, Regina—" the blonde whispered viciously, her bearings only just coming back to her, "—what the hell was that? It was like you weren't even here—like you were lost in your head."

"I must have fallen asleep," the mayor offered firmly as she pulled herself up into a standing position, grimacing when she realized it was evening and she had been stuck within her thoughts for hours, "but it's no concern of yours as…oh right, we aren't to be involved with each other's personal affairs _ever again_."

"That's not fair," Emma gritted between barred teeth; how could the brunette be a puddle of raw emotion on the floor one minute and then a fully composed, blazing bitch the next? "It's not like you wanted anything of value from me."

"How would you know?" Regina yelled, turning her cold, black glare on the blonde quickly, "it's not as if you asked what I wanted—you were selfish and I—"

_Fell in love with you_ the brunette wanted to say, but there was a strong force careening against her skull that whispered in a deadly hush not to—her mother's voice. Shivering, the mayor clenched her eyes shut as she pinched the bridge of her nose tightly. Everything inside of her was crumbling and collapsing around her and the mayor was unable to stop the hurricane of horror that swirled inside of her. There was nothing she could do now except accept total defeat and revert back into her memories until all that was left of Regina was a whimpering, writhing lunatic. Biting back a sob, the brunette let the hand fall away from her face and eyed Emma wearily—she was her only hope and she had crushed it to dust as she had with millions of hearts.

"You what?" The blonde asked in frustration, entering the mayor's personal space as she looked into the tremulous black eyes cryptically.

"Nothing," Regina sighed, giving up completely, "it was nothing…"

"Tell me!" Emma said harshly, her voice rising as she lunged forward and grabbed the brunette's shoulders in her hands, her fingers digging into the soft, bare skin as she shook her.

"I can't." The brunette seethed, pulling away from the other woman's grasp as she spun around to leave the foyer and the blonde's presence before she would say something she couldn't take back.

"Goddamn it, Regina!" Emma cried as she reached out a hand and pulled the mayor's retreating form back towards her; jerking her roughly until their chests collided against one another. "Tell me!"

"I can't!" Regina screamed in agony; the force of her protest causing tears to prickle behind her eyes.

The blonde stumbled back a step at the anguish that poured from the brunette's lips as she fought the torrent of her true feelings. But, Emma only faltered for a moment before her body reacted and closed the space between them, encompassing the mayor's in a tight, comforting embrace. Unable to fight the delicious warmth that the blonde's closeness offered her, Regina fell against her willingly as the tears rolled down her cheeks. They stood like that for several minutes, Emma running her fingers through tangled, dark strands of hair while the brunette gripped onto her with a hunger for comfort that she had never known she had. Eventually, the blonde pulled back and looked into the mayor's watery black gaze as her thumb swiped away the hot tears that pooled beneath her lashes. Smiling glumly, Emma pressed her forehead against Regina's and tried with all of her might to absorb all of the brunette's burdens and sadness so that she wouldn't have to deal with them alone.

"Please, Regina…" the blonde whispered, her lips ghosting across the full red mouth aligned with her own, "…tell me what you were going to say. I need to hear you say it."

"Love is weakness," the brunette sobbed quietly, her breath ragged and uneven, "and it's driving me crazy—you're driving me crazy but I—I can't help but love you—want to love you."

"Love isn't weakness, its strength," Emma smiled softly, as her hands ran down along the stiffened back beneath her fingers, "it's so powerful—it's like—"

"—magic." The mayor finished almost whimsically, and the beautiful fluttering in her heart made her lips twitch into an uneasy smile as courage wound around her veins. "Emma, I was so stupid—so stubborn…but I want you to know that I _do_ love you."

"I love you, too." The blonde breathed as a luminous grin lit up her face; she had been waiting for that moment ever since she had accidently let her true feelings show during one of their more heated encounters.

Emma pressed herself forward the last inch that separated them and her mind swam with a new wave of emotions that she had never felt before—they were nearly indefinable in their intensity. Regina gasped into the kiss as she sucked in the blonde's taste, reveling at the familiar and comforting flavor that tingled over her tongue. After a brief moment, Emma pulled back, but the brunette didn't want the blonde anywhere but against her—inside of her. The truth had changed their dynamic and all the mayor wanted was for Emma's lips to be on her body as their hearts beat in tandem to the flush of their growing want for one another. This time it wouldn't be merely sex, no, it would be the joining of two people in an unshakable love—two lost, wandering souls finally allowing themselves to touch and fuse together eternally. Regina had finally found what she had been fighting for throughout her entire life: a love that was untouchable and sacred; a love that would protect and cradle her for the rest of her life. And as the realization struck her, the brunette let out the stale breath that she had been holding since she was a child—the persistent, berating voice of her mother had finally vanished.

Unable to contain the emotion and sensation that wafted through her, the mayor gripped the collar of Emma's red leather jacket within her fingers and pulled her close. Their lips crashed together in a kiss that was so powerful it nearly sent the two women clashing to the ground. Regina pressed her tongue inside the blonde's awaiting mouth firmly, pleading for Emma to understand how intense her feelings for her were. The blonde seemed to comprehend quite clearly, and she groaned into the mayor as she grasped narrow hips beneath her palms. Without preamble, the two women clung to each other as they clumsily climbed the stairs. Breaking apart in a fit of giggles, Regina laced her fingers through Emma's and pulled her upstairs and into her bedroom. Closing the door absently, the brunette wrapped her arms around the blonde's neck and speckled phantom kisses across her throat as she walked them to her bed. As the back of Emma's knees brushed against the edge of the messy mattress, the mayor pushed her onto it coyly as she sunk to the floor. Gaping, the blonde let her body burst fully to life as Regina's hands ran along her leather covered ribs and peeled the jacket away from her burning flesh; the amorous fingers already ghosting across the hem of her white tank top—but began to shake as nerves got the better of her. This was a matter that the dark woman had never contemplated and worry knotted in her stomach.

Hooded green eyes looked down through a heavy glaze of lust as they watched the brunette slowly lift the thin tank top over the blonde's head. Emma sat on the large bed in the mayor's bedroom, whilst Regina kneeled on the floor between her thighs. The blonde's thin mouth quirked into a gentle smirk as the material fluttered over her face and was quickly deposited on the floor. Reaching out a hand, Emma smoothed her fingers over the brunette's knitted brow trying to get the dark woman to relax but the mayor's black eyes remained downcast—staring absently at her shaking hands. Biting her lip, the blonde could swear that Regina's tightly wound nerves were causing her to become nervous as well. It was the first time that they were being intimate after everything had changed between them; after every single thought and feeling that crackled within their minds for the other had suddenly risen to the surface. And although things were different now—everything quickly becoming so delicate and sacred—Emma wouldn't have changed a single thing. The blonde had finally found love; the deep, pressing type of love that pounded within her heart and made her breathless; the type that she had read about in Henry's storybook. Beautifully magical was the only way that she could describe it and the blonde let herself relax as her cool fingers inched their way down the brunette's flushed cheek and stroked the heated skin tenderly.

"What are you thinking about?" Emma whispered, peering down at the brunette.

"I'm thinking about how—" the mayor's voice cracked and she shook her head as a way of gaining a better grasp of her emotions, "—about how I'm feeling."

It was then, in the safety of near darkness, that the blonde finally became aware of how vulnerable and scared Regina was beneath her cold, calculating mask. Moving her hand down slightly, Emma tucked her fingers against the bottom of the brunette's chin and tilted her face upward so that their eyes met. The air in the blonde's lungs evaporated as she noticed, for the first time, the child-like lightness that hung across her lover's features. The mayor's face was cleanly absent of makeup; her cheeks were colored with her emotions, and her olive skin seemed to illuminate against the pale moonlight. Everything about Regina in that moment was the epitome of softness, but all of that was nothing compared to the bright, flashing spark of hope and love that had miraculously found itself back into her dark eyes; the fledgling light of her soul that had disappeared many, many years ago.

"And what does that feeling…feel like?" The blonde breathed; her breath washed across the brunette's face and her eyelashes flickered as she licked her lips.

"It's a…curious…wanting feeling…" taking a deep breath, the mayor continued; her eyes shining through the darkness, "…a strange…loving thing…"

White teeth flashed in the withering light as Regina nibbled on her bottom lip in contemplation—the frantic worrying of chattering teeth against a full mouth made Emma swallow shallowly; whatever it was that the brunette was trying to say was not going to be easy—most likely for either of them. With cautious fingers, the blonde cupped the mayor's tear streaked cheeks in her palms and massaged them reassuringly. Wordlessly saying that whatever dark, shattering thought was invading Regina, Emma—with her raw and unadulterated love—would follow blindly behind her lover into the blackness and destruction. They were in this together from now on, regardless of how hard, and warring certain situations and confessions could be.

"It's alright, Regina…" the blonde murmured softly as she tried to pull the plagued woman from her thoughts, "…you can trust me—you're safe with me."

"I've never…" a pause, a silent sob tumbling through the brunette's bones as images of a man waded behind her eyes; his firm hands gripping her tightly as he ripped his pleasure from her, "…I've never—never _made love_ before." The beautiful term sounded broken and cynical in the mayor's quaking voice as her shaking fingers dug into Emma's thighs for support. "The act of sex—yes, but no one has ever truly wanted me the way that you do—so fully…so completely—and it…it frightens me."

"We don't have to—" the blonde started, but was quickly cut off by smooth fingertips pressing silence to her lips.

"I want to." Regina confessed, her tone taking on a far more confident edge; her dark eyes spun with warmth as she looked deeply into her lover's green orbs, "I want you to be the one I give myself to...if you'll have me?"

"Do you even have to ask?"

The brunette flushed silently, and slowly began to relax as she realized that Emma was in this with her for the long haul and that she wasn't going anywhere. Sighing in contentment, the mayor leaned up and captured her partner's lips with her own in a searing kiss of promise. It started off slowly and gently but as the seconds merged together in a fog of love fueled lust it bloomed into something altogether bolder. They parted momentarily as the last pieces of their clothing were shed and their naked bodies touched hungrily, as if for the first time. Intoxicated by the feeling that whirled in her head; the blonde pulled Regina onto the unmade bed and straddled her hips in a graceful flourish of limbs.

As their mouths met again in a feverish kiss of tender want, Emma let her fingertips trace every curve and swell of the brunette's body; the mayor shivered in long awaited anticipation and arched her back off of the mattress as the blonde cupped a breast within her warm palm. Licking the full lips softly, Emma knelt her head and captured a hardened nipple within her mouth, swirling her tongue around the sensitive pucker of flesh. Hissing in sheer pleasure, Regina shifted her body among the blankets until her hand had appropriate space to slither down the blonde's slick body. Gasping as cool fingers trailed along her wet folds tenderly, Emma moved her fiery mouth up to the column of the brunette's throat and sucked along the salty flesh eagerly; the responsive body beneath her's writhing and moaning in delight.

While the room was filled with the heavenly sound of ragged breaths and whispered confessions of love, the pink fingers of morning streaked across the sky. The two naked forms that grinded desperately against one another were illuminated by the newly exposed tinges of sunlight. Their bodies were shinning with perspiration as their movements became more frantic; their lips clung together as fingers were buried within one another—savoring the delicious waves of pleasure as they touched frantically. Slowly, as the sun slithered from its slumber and began its trek into the coral sky both women were rendered with shocking shudders as an orgasm thundered through one body and pounded through the other simultaneously. Cries of ecstasy shattered through the bedroom as the women collapsed against one another, their bodies spent—their tangled limps glowing with newly vocalized love.

"What happens now?" Regina whispered, as she laid her head on the blonde's quivering chest, content to listen to the beating of her heart—the heart that now belonged to the brunette.

"Now," Emma smiled, fingering the damp strands of dark hair, "now we spend the rest of our lives together."

"Oh, do we?" The brunette questioned coyly as she kissed the warm skin beneath her grinning lips.

"It'll get hard," the blonde nodded, realizing that not everything was simply going to materialize into perfection, "I'm still going to be a stubborn ass and you're still going to be a domineering bitch…" Trailing off for a moment, Emma chuckled deep in her throat as she felt a devious smirk caress the mouth pressed against her flesh. "But, we're going to love each other anyway."

"How do you know—how can you be so sure?"

"Because, this is it—this is home," the blonde breathed as her green eyes fluttered closed with fatigue, "…this is our happy ending."

Feeling the chest beneath her cheek rise and fall more slowly, the mayor cocked her head up so that she could see Emma's face. Her green eyes were pressed shut, and her skin was smooth with sleep. Smiling softly, Regina leaned up and placed a tender kiss on the sleeping woman's lips. Pulling away with a sigh of utter exhilaration, the brunette brushed a stray strand of golden hair from the blonde's face and laid her head back down upon Emma's breast. As a yawn silently tumbled from her mouth, the mayor nuzzled more firmly against the blonde. In one day the woman had fought away all of her demons; with one gentle touch she had created a wave of happiness that the dark woman had never experienced before. While the peaceful notions swirled around in Regina's now quiet mind, she felt herself being pulled into the realm of sleep alongside her lover. But, not until Emma's words fell from her smiling lips.

"Our happy ending."

* * *

**A/N: Holy, I never would have expected for this last part to end up being so long, and so hard to write (I had a FEELS overload!) Surprisingly, overall this probably has to be my favorite part, and the part that I'm most pleased with stylistically. The words kind of just…flew out of me and then I realized how long I had made it. This story took a toll on my little fangirl heart but I'm so glad that I decided to give them the happy ending they both truly deserve. Anyway, this writing experience was wonderful and I adore all of you who have read and reviewed this, you're all lovely, beautiful people! As always, let me know how you feel about the completion of the story by reviewing!**


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